The Buffalo Bills have one of the most unsung heroes on their team that sometimes gets overlooked by Bills fans, and certainly by the rest of the league. When you think about the Bills, you immediately think of players like Josh Allen and James Cook. Now you may also think about DJ Moore as he will look to bring a spark to this offense that has been missing for the last two seasons.
In last year’s NFL Draft, much like the one that just happened this past April, the Bills didn’t invest a ton into their offense. However, in 2025, they selected tight end Jackson Hawes in the 5th round out of Georgia Tech. He was their first offensive pick and it made fans scratch their heads in confusion.
With the Bills already having two tight ends in Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, drafting a tight end as their first offensive pick was very frustrating (especially since they still needed to get more wide receiver help). However, little did we know that the Bills would actually see Hawes as one of their two best draft picks, along with defensive tackle Deone Walker.
Jackson Hawes proved to be hidden gem in 2025 for Bills
Hawes wasn’t the main receiving option in the tight end room, but he still managed to bring in 3 touchdowns on the year. He did that as a primary run blocker, which he was one of the best at in the entire league. In fact, this blocking abilities have even caught the attention of a rising tight end in Tucker Kraft, who plays for the Green Bay Packers.
Kraft sat down with Kay Adams, host of the Up and Adams Show, and Adams had asked Kraft which tight ends he had watched the most since having a season-ending injury last year. Kraft said that he watched a good amount of George Kittle from the San Francisco 49ers, which is very fair. Then Kraft briefly mentioned how he liked Jackson Hawes and called him a great blocker.
“I’ve watched a lot of San Fran, so a lot of George [Kittle]...there’s the rookie for the Bills [Jackson] Hawes, he’s a great blocker.” said Kraft.
In his time off from injury, which TEs has Tucker Kraft watched the most tape on?
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 5, 2026
49ers' George Kittle & Bills' Jackson Hawes 📽️@packers | @TuckerKraft | @heykayadams | @gkittle46 | @12hawes12 pic.twitter.com/KwXNF0SSft
Bills have hidden gem in Jackson Hawes that is finally getting noticed
If you don’t watch a ton of Bills games, then you may not know why Hawes has become so valuable for the offense. The Bills were one of the few teams that came out of the huddle with two tight ends on the line of scrimmage, and it was packaged to where Hawes was a blocker to help create more protection.
Having that extra blocker helped James Cook lead the league in rushing yards last year, and Hawes played a huge role in helping Cook. With someone like Kraft, who is a rising tight end in this league, noticing Hawes’ play style, it shows that the Bills have themselves a gem on offense. With Hawes going into his second season, he will have the opportunity to thrive even more under Joe Brady.
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